Jaguars coach Gus Bradley got to see Toby Gerhart run with shoulder pads Sunday, and Bradley liked what he saw.

“… He had a gap scheme with a small space, and he stayed true to it and hit it and had good pad level,” Bradley said. “I think it was a good sign.”

Gerhart said, “It was a good first day in pads. It felt good to see the offensive line come off the ball in that first nine-on-seven drill and move some guys.”

A pounding, punishing runner who was signed as a free agent from Minnesota last March to replace Maurice Jones-Drew, Gerhart wants more.

He’s eager to put on the full pads Wednesday, and he’s hoping Bradley will give the team some live drills.

When it’s not live, he said, “I try not to explode and blow up one of my teammates. I’m a bigger back [235 pounds]. A power back. I’m able to wear defenses down. I feel like the more carries I get, the better rhythm I have. I get lathered up. I think I’m at my best when I get multiple carries in a row.”

That didn’t happen in Minnesota very often because he played behind Adrian Peterson for four years, but now Gerhart has the chance to be a feature back with the Jaguars.

And they expect him to be more than a power back. They think he can break some long runs.

“I think he’s got the ability to hit some home runs, yeah,” general manager Dave Caldwell said. “He might not be a 60-home run hitter, but he might have 20 to 25. He might not be Mark McGwire but that’s OK.”

“I think I’m a little faster than people think,” said Gerhart, who ran a 4.53 in the 40 at the combine. “I think the way I run I have the ability to take the ball the distance and break a tackle and make big plays. I feel I’m a fluid smooth runner so it doesn’t look like I’m straining or pumping really hard, and maybe that is why people don’t think I am quick as I really am.”

He doesn’t mind if defenders don’t realize he is as fast as he really is.

“If they think I am a little slower than I am, hopefully I can catch them off guard,” he said.

He had a 67-yard run for the Vikings in 2011, the longest of his career.

Bradley said, “I think it’s never a question about his ability to bang in there. I think that’s his strength. As I’ve said before, I think his burst [is what surprised us].”

He also has to prove he can carry the load because he never carried more than 109 times in a season in Minnesota while backing up Peterson. But Gerhart did at Stanford, where he set the school record with 671 rushing attempts and was second in school history with 3,522 rushing yards.

“Those were the glory days,” he said.

Caldwell said, “He’s been the workhorse, just not at this level. He’s built for it. He’s 235 plus [pounds], has a great frame, great muscle, great condition. The best thing about Toby is that he’s got excellent hands, too.”

His ability to catch and block would indicate he can be an every-down back, but Bradley has indicated they’d also like to give Jordan Todman and Denard Robinson and possibly rookie Storm Johnson some action.

“If we can use a lot of guys, or a couple of guys in there and really utilize their strengths, because other guys have some strengths, too. If that helps us as a team, then that’s what we’re going to do,” Bradley said.

Gerhart said, “I’ll take as many carries as they give me.”

He’s also smart enough to know the risks of playing football and the dangers of concussions, but he loves the game.